Be My Escape: What Was
by DarkWrath20
Summary: This is not an alternative story. Its more of a add-on to The Masterhama's story.


**Hello! This is my first and, most likely, last story I write here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Adventure Time. I also did not create the fan fiction **_**Be My Escape. **_**That was made by ****The MasterHama****, whose permition I got to write this story. If you did not read **_**Be My Escape**_** I would strongly suggest you do before reading my story. Trust me, her story is really good. Sorry that my writing style is different from hers. This is not an alternate story to her's. It's more of an add-on.**

**Enjoy.**

Be My Escape

What Was

Where's Marceline?

She's supposed to be here. She's supposed to take me away. I try to remember where she might be. A flicker pops into my hazy mind. In the flicker I see a crowd of candy people. They're circling around some spectacle. I look closer.

Regret overwhelms me.

_I know what's going to happen!_

_I don't want to see it again!_

It's too late. I'm pulled into the flicker.

There are so many people, but only three matter. I see Marceline. She is cloaked against the sun. And yet still so beautiful. I see the faceless peppermint man standing next to his master with his hand in his coat. And I see _her. _The one who kept me locked up for years. The one who put these scars on my back. The one who made me want to kill myself. The one who loves me. The one who I hate most in all of the land of Ooo.

The Ring Master to the Silver Lining Circus.

But that's not who she's known as in the Candy Kingdom. Here she is the great and kind Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum.

I see Marceline and the Ring Master arguing. I feel a horrible feeling of regret, that was once a twinge of joy, seeing Marceline lunge at the Ring Master.

**You know what's going to happen, don't you? You know what's going to happen... every... single... time. Heh hehe heh hehe heh...**

I see Marceline fall on her back.

I see Marceline covered in flames.

I see Marceline die a thousandth time.

The flicker disappears. Everything goes dark.

**. . .**

I wake up. Not truly wake up because of the drugs that are pumped into me twice a day for the last three years. I look around trying to remember where I am. I'm in a hospital room made of candy.

I remember why I'm here.

I can't feel anything because the drugs haven't worn off yet. But I know that there are tears streaking down my face.

A doctor walks into the room. It's a candy person. She's made of ice cream. She looks me over and pulls out a cloth of some kind. She wipes the tears off my face. "We have to make you look presentable for your guest," the ice cream cone person says to me even though I won't respond. Everyone in the hospital has quit trying to get me to talk or get any real reaction out of me at all.

I wonder if Jake is the one visiting me. Sometimes he brings Beemo along. But he hasn't been coming by as much lately. Also it seems like he's been coming in with more scars than usual. He's been telling me that he's trying to find away to help me. Or maybe he's tired of talking to someone who won't talk back.

I get a queasy feeling in my stomach even though I'm not supposed to feel anything.

**You know it's not your "friend." Why would they clean you up for a pathetic mutt?**

I don't know who says these things to me. I can't remember when he showed up. Time is meaningless now.

I try to ignore his words.

**And if he's not showing up, than that means you-know-who is coming. Heh hehe heh...**

I hear footsteps growing louder.

**Those drugs they pump into you every day must be messing with your memory if you actually forgot that SHE'S coming.**

The truth is, I didn't forget who was coming. I could never forget HER. I was just hoping that she wouldn't visit me again. But she will. Just like yesterday and the day before that. And there's no doubt in my mind that she'll be here tomorrow and the day after that.

Oh Glob! Just one day! One day where she just leaves me alone.

Just.

One.

Day.

**Hehe hehe heh. You know that she'll never leave you alone. And even in the very unlikely event that she didn't come, she'll still be there in your messed up, drug induced, head.**

The foot falls are right around the door. I pray that it's Jake coming by to tell me that he found a way to bring back Marceline. Or that it's Marceline herself finally ready to take me away. I pray that it was anybody except HER.

But it is. It's always her.

My visitor comes around the corner. She's wearing a pink dress that matches her skin and hair that was formally black. The one thing she's wearing that doesn't match her flesh and clothes is the gold crown with the blue gem in it. But I don't pay much attention to her hair, clothes, and skin.

Her eyes.

Those black soul-less orbs.

Those are the only things I look at when she's here. They're the only things I can look at when she's here. Because those are the only things she hasn't changed since she was the Ring Master.

**Every. Single. Day. Ha ha ha ha ha...**

…

I feel so happy right now.

I always feel better when I see my beloved Finn.

I would come more than once a day, but that might draw serious attention to him. And the last thing I want are the Rainicorns trying to eat the last human. Or in the least damage his face. Almost every part of his body has a scar on it except his face. But that's okay. Because that's really the only part I care about.

"Hello Finn," I say while I take my usual spot beside his bed. As usual he doesn't respond. I prefer it like that. I never allowed him to speak in the circus. And the only time he spoke was if he was going to spit insults at me. But maybe if he said something nice I would've let him speak.

I hold onto his hand. He isn't able to pull away as easily today because of the drugs. I try to visit early just for that reason.

"Your hair looks nice as always today, Finn." His hair does look nice. It looks beautiful when its long, but it would be in the way for the doctors. So it's been cut about to his ears.

Nothing

"It's going to warm up again soon," I inform Finn. "But you don't have to worry about that since you'll have air conditioning in here."

Nothing

"Also, you'll be able to go outside again," I tell him this in hopes that he'll smile or react in any way. Although when he's outside alone all he does is stand in the same spot for hours. He just watches the sun in its infinite cycle. Never even tries to run.

Nothing

I come in here every day and talk to him, usually, about nothing. And he's never really responded. He's tried pulling his hand away from me. And I can feel him shivering sometimes. And he's always staring me right in the eyes. Never anywhere else. Just my eyes. They are the only things I haven't changed since the circus.

I try to think of something that could get him to talk. Anything.

". . . Marceline was my friend you know."

Something

I look around, which seems like something I should've done before I said anything. I don't need to worry. Finn has his own room. And the only candy citizen around is Peppermint Butler who is outside the door. Everyone else has been ordered to stay away. Well, not ordered. Princess Bubblegum doesn't just order something. She asks kindly and her subjects love her so much that they don't ask questions.

"We weren't very close friends," I continue. "But she did save me from the ice king once."

"But not when it counted."

I go quiet along with the rest of Ooo. It only felt like a moment. But when I look at the time it has almost been fifteen minutes. I'm late for a meeting. I have to leave.

"Well my Finn, it's been nice as always," I say as I rise from my seat. "I'll make sure my visit tomorrow will be longer and better spent," I inform him of what he already knows. I look at my presious Finn one last time before I go on my way. I look at the scars on his arms. I look at his thin frame from lack of movement. And I don't need to look on his back for scars since I know they are still there. I was the one who put them there.

"I'm sorry-"

Something

_what?_

_WHAT!?_

Why did I just apologize. I meant to say something else. I look at him again to see if he noticed. He did. I don't really see it on his face but I can feel it. I hurry out of the room. I need to get as far away as I can. Even though that won't make a difference. Those words are still fresh in my brain

_I'm sorry_

_I'm sorry_

_I'm sorry_

**. . .**

"Oh good, she finally left," Jake whispered to himself, relieved. He's been waiting for Princess Bubblegum to leave for some time now. He didn't want to stick around and raise suspicion so he strolled outside for awhile. He knew that Finn would be safe with such a kind woman. But he had to be careful around her. If she found out that he was trying to bring Marceline the vampire queen back from the dead, then that might cause problems.

I heard that she died because she tried to kill Princess Bubblegum. I don't know what really happened. Finn saw what happened but since then he never spoke. Not even to me.

I enter his room. He's in the same spot as always. "Hey brother," I say to him. It hurts to say that now. Because it just brings back memories of Jermaine. Memories I try to push away. Even though it hurts to say it, I feel like I need to remind Finn that I still consider him family.

I noticed Finn was kinda shaking and sweating. This isn't the first time I've seen this. I don't know what causes it, but I do know that he always settles down when I visit him.

I begin are conversation as usual. "So, I saw this guy get turned into a giant foot. He just went up to this hobo and the hobo turned out to be some wizard, or something," I tell Finn the weirdest thing that I saw today. "But to be honest," I whisper "I was kinda jealous of the foot guy. It's too complicated to explain right now though," I say feeling a little embarrassed.

I look around before I say anything else. You'd have to be pretty dumb not to look around before you say something like this. "I think I finally know how to bring back Marceline."

I don't see any real reaction out of him. But that's alright since I've said stuff like this already. I've been searching around Ooo for the past three years trying to find a way to bring back Marceline. But every lead was a dead end.

"I mean it this time, dude," I try to reassure him.

He tilts his head to look at me.

"The good news is that we can do it tonight."

He doesn't really react, but I'm sure he's wondering about what I mean by "we."

"The bad news is that WE have to get out of here. Meaning- you have to be able to move."

His eyes widen just slightly. I think.

"Now, we have to wait for tonight," I repeat.

I can feel that Finn might have some questions. Well, since he barely ever responds I kinda try to think of what he might be thinking. And I'm thinking that he's thinking what it is that we're going to do?

"Now, I'll be doing most of the work, but you are definitely needed in all of this," I tell him. "I'll do my part then I'll pick you up for the final part of the plan." I'm not sure why Finn is supposed to be their but that's what I was told to do.

I look through the window. Then at the clock. I should get going if I'm planning on doing this tonight. And I want this to be done as soon as possible, for Finn's sake.

"Sorry brother, I gotta get going if we want to do this tonight," I remind Finn one last time.

I get up to leave. But before I go, I gave Finn one last long look. I don't know why I did that. I just felt like I really needed to look at him.

I couldn't tell Finn who I got the info from because I don't want him to think I'm crazy. I don't want to think about how down he'd get if I told him that the whispers are telling me what to do.

**. . .**

_I'm looking at a monster right now._

_It's looking back at me._

_I see its pink hair._

_It sees my pink hair._

_I see its pink skin._

_It sees my pink skin._

_I'm looking right into its black eyes._

_And its looking back into mine._

_I hate this monster._

_And it hates me back._

I think this every time I look in the mirror. I say _the_ mirror because its the only mirror left in the castle. I had all the mirrors in the castle removed except this one. Because I can't stand to look at the disgusting monster that appears in them. But I still need at least one so I can become presentable to the citizens of the candy kingdom. I only trust myself for this task. An old habit from the circus.

I loved the mirror back at the circus. When I looked at it there was a human looking back at me. A human with real looking skin and black hair. A human almost exactly like Finn.

Mentioning Finn makes me think about what I said at the hospital earlier today.

_I'm sorry._

I still don't know why I said that. I know that I didn't do very good things to Finn when we were at the circus. But I would have been more gentle with him if he wasn't trying to escape from me. Besides, I gave him his freedom. After I caught him and Marceline, after he escaped, I gave him his freedom. And then I went back to my kingdom to try and regain my old life.

But then Marceline showed up.

It wasn't my choice to kill her. It was Peppermint Butler's decision. He hated vampires for sucking most of the red from his face. So when he had a chance to kill the vampire queen, he took it. To be honest, I could've stopped it. But something inside of me, or is it what's not inside me, wanted to see Marceline die. For taking away my Finn.

I look at the monster without thinking. Just waiting for another thought to come to my mind.

_Why did he love her?_

I've read the books from before the Mushroom War. I know that in children books people with candy flesh were loved.

_So why? Why did he love a vampire?_

In many of the old books, vampires are one of the most feared of all the monsters that the humans wrote about. So why is it that Finn would fall in love with something that has no pulse, sharp teeth, and has even killed his own kind before? And why is it that he didn't love me? I wasn't human, but I tried to look like one.

I wait for another thought to come.

_It's all HIS fault._

He came from nowhere. He was smart and charming. And before I knew it he had my heart.

Literally.

He carved it out of my chest and ran away with it. I survived somehow. A perk of being a freak. I took Peppermint butler with me and we left quietly. Couldn't have word of this spreading out and causing problems. We cornered him. He lit my heart and himself on fire. It was destroyed.

I couldn't go back to my citizens. I was unable to love them anymore. I couldn't love anything anymore.

Except Finn. The day I found him I knew I could never let him go. Ever.

_Was it really love that I felt?_

_What?_

I've never thought that before. I look back at the monster in the mirror. There's something wrong. I see the pink monster. But now there's another one. This one is covered in a dark cloak, has shredded skin covering the skull under it, and has eyeless sockets that seem to put despair into a soul I don't have any more.

I practically jump out of my seat and turn to see the greatest monster in all of Ooo.

"...The Lich." I say breathlessly.

**. . .**

**Moments earlier**

There's a man sneaking through the Candy Kingdom. A very sour man. He has a plan to take back what he thinks is his.

He tried to take the kingdom when Princess Bubblegum disappeared. But those imposters wouldn't let him. He was planning on trying again when the kingdom went into chaos. But then Bubblegum came back without any warning. With her back, there's no why he can take control.

Or so he thought.

While sneaking through the castle one night, he heard whispers. More whispers then he usually hears. They told him how to gain control of the kingdom.

So he followed the directions to the letter. He hated being told what to do. But it was the only way to get what he wanted.

He finally found were the whispers came from. A dark form encased in amber. He had all that he needed. He hit the amber with his sound sword. He's surprised that it only took one hit, since the dark form oozed out of the small crack and reformed. He tossed the extremely large jar, filled with green toxin, at the dark form. It was not easy to contain the toxin, as it kept eating through all the containers he used. The dark form started to drain the jar.

"Now listen to my demands," the Sour Man orders. "I am the one who freed you," he points towards the dark form, who does not acknowledge his existence. "And since I am the one who freed you that means you must follow my every command," the dark form moves towards him, done with his task. "failure to comply will be UNACCEPTABLEEEEEEEEE-" the sour man was not able to finish.

The dark form wrapped his huge skeletal hand around the Sour man's head and buried his digits into the back of his neck. A burst of green flames followed. Burning on the outside and boiling on the inside, He could only thrash wildly. The only noise he made was a muffled scream that was overpowered by the hissing sound his boiling fluids made.

He stopped thrashing. The dark form released him. All that was left of his head was a shriveled, black, thing. No one would be able to tell that it was the face of the Earl of Lemongrab.

The dark form feels joy. He hasn't felt that way in a long time. He can't wait to distinguish another life. But, he has things to do. He looks over at the sour man's things. He picks up what he's sure he needs. A book wrapped in a cloth. He unwraps the book. He smiles.

The Enchiridion.

**. . .**

I had the same dreams I usually do.

The circus.

The Ring Master.

Marceline dying.

The ice cream doctor already came by and gave me the second injection. Just like this morning. I think this morning since it's dark out now. I'm still a little groggy and can't feel anything.

I remembered what Jake said this morning. About bringing back Marceline. He's said things like this before. This time though, he seems like he's sure. Maybe I think it's serious because he's involving me in his plan. Something he's never done before.

I wait for the Fear to speak and say something to make me miserable.

Nothing.

I have the queasy feeling in my stomach, but he's not saying anything.

While waiting for Jake I think about what the Ring Master said.

_I'm sorry._

_Why?_

_Why would she say that?_

_What was she sorry for?_

_For putting me in a cage?_

_For whipping me?_

_For not letting me speak!?_

_For making me want to kill myself!?_

_For saying that her and Marceline were friends!?_

_For letting Marceline die?_

I stop thinking for a moment.

_I wonder when Jake is g-_

My thoughts are cut off by a scream. It came from outside. It was followed by many more like it.

I turn my head with more effort than should be needed. Its dark outside. But there's an eerie green light. It's moving and pulsating like flames. It seems far away.

I think about just sleeping. Just sleeping and waiting for this to end. I consider that Jake will be coming for me, and that he'll need me for his plan.

I'm still contemplating this when a hand roughly shakes me. I try to turn my head to see who it is. Before I could the question was answered for me.

"Finn, come on buddy we gotta go!" said Jake the dog.

Jake tries to lift me up out of the bed before I'm ready. I fall to my hands and knees. "Sorry brother." Jake apologizes. He lifts me to my feet. Usually I can stand on my own. But the drugs haven't worn off yet. If I wasn't seeing it, I wouldn't know that I was standing.

I look over at Jake, waiting for him to tell me what we're doing. Instead, he's cutting a hole in my pillow case. When he's done he puts it over my head. "This should fool people from knowing that your human," he explains. I thought it was a good plan when I did it the first time. It worked, but not on the Ring Master. But I still don't take it off. It doesn't matter if I have it or not for what I have planned.

"Okay brother," Said Jake, while picking up a bag he brought in with him. "We gotta get a move on if we want this to work."

Jake helps me down the stairs. It's chaos outside. Candy people are running around everywhere. Some are running against the crowds. There are banana guards trying to control the crowd. They are not succeeding.

Good.

This should help my plan.

While Jake is distracted I slip away into the crowd. He doesn't notice that I left. I'm deep in the chaos when I hear Jake yell. "FINN! WHERE ARE YOU BROTHER!?"

I feel a twinge of pain. The drugs are still working a little, so I know that I couldn't have gotten hurt. Because I wouldn't feel it. I know I feel quilt for leaving Jake. But I have to do this.

I don't know if Jake's plan will work. I don't even know what it is. But I do know one thing. That if Marceline was brought back, or if she isn't, and Jake and me have to run and hide for the rest of our lives, SHE won't let me go.

_The Ring Master will never let me go again._

_She'll never let me be free._

_She'll never let me be with Marceline._

_She'll never let me go._

_So there's only one choice._

_I'm going to kill her._

_I don't care if I die in the process. Or if I die before or after I kill her. As long as I'm free._

_I will kill the Ring Master._

**. . .**

"Looks like I picked the perfect time to come back," Jermaine says, mumbling to himself.

I look up at the black smoke emanating from the green flames burning the candy buildings. There are candy people running through the streets panicking.

I try to remember where the hospital is. Jake doesn't have a real address. He's just been traveling around Ooo for the past three years. I'm not an idiot. I know what he's trying to do. He's trying to bring back the vampire queen.

I try not to think of her real name. Every single time I hear it my arm hurts. But hearing vampire queen still gives me a slight tingle.

I know why Jake's trying to bring her back too. For the human boy, Finn. I knew that he was going to bring problems when Jake brought him home from the circus. I would have told Jake to get rid of him. Or have gotten rid of him myself. But I promised that I wouldn't make my brother sad again. And the human made him happy, happier than he's been in a long time. And I couldn't put Jake through again.

I tried to be nice to him, for Jake's sake. But then Marceline showed up. I knew the human was going to bring trouble. But I didn't even suspect that the trouble was going to be the vampire queen. I knew for Jake's safety that I was going to have to get rid of the boy. But I couldn't just kick him out. Jake would hate me. Also the vampire would definitely kill me. Or worse. So I tried to make it seem more like it was they're choices. I ate every food in the house that was red, to get rid of Marceline. And I told the boy some not-so-truthful things.

They both left. Jake was safe. That's what I cared about.

But then the human came back. He was hurt and Jake knew it. I couldn't let him down again. I got the boy to a hospital. It wasn't my intention to kill Marceline. It just happened. Now the human is practically catatonic and Jake hates me.

I see what I did wrong. I'm not sure if I think what I did was wrong. But it must have been if I ended up losing Jake again. I'm going to try and make it up to him. I don't know what exactly I'm going to do though.

I come around a corner. There's the hospital! And not only that, there's Jake!

Before I can say anything, he stretches up into the smoke. "FINN!" Jake hollers.

I guess he's trying to look for the human. I don't know why he's out here. Jake must have been trying to get him to safety. He also stretched higher so he could see him better. But the smoke is in his way. Jake wasn't exactly the bright type.

"Jake!" I yell to him. He didn't hear me, even though he's a dog. The screaming must be in the way. "JAAAKE!" I yell louder.

_Come on, just look over here!_

I get pushed toward him a little by a group of candy citizens. Good! I'll get to him faster.

"JAAA-" I get interrupted by a searing pain in my side.

I fall hard onto the candy pavement. Everything kind of goes silent. I can only see the running feet of candy people. Then they are gone. The group must have passed me. I can see Jake again. He's not that far away. I try to yell his name, but nothing comes out. I try again. A sort of gasp comes out. I see Jake lower himself below the smoke.

_Please! Just turn your head._

He does turn his head. The other way. He's spotted who he was searching for. He heads towards that direction. As I look at him getting further away, I feel a chill in my spine. I try to turn to see. I see a large skeletal man, in dark clothes. He looks at me. Studies me for what feels like eternity.

Then he said "Damn, wrong dog," he then looks towards were Jake was. And follows him.

_Jake, Run!_

I lay in the same spot for a short time. Unable to think of anything useful. One last thought pops in my mind.

_I knew that human was going to bring problems._

_...good luck, Finn._

**. . .**

Pain.

I almost missed it.

I haven't run in a long time. My legs are weak. The drugs are starting to wear off.

Luckily Jake couldn't catch up to me. He couldn't see me through smoke. I don't want to get him involved in this.

_I don't want to see him hurt to. Like Marceline._

Thinking about her brings new tears to my eyes.

_Stop it! I'm doing this for her._

I'm already inside the castle. I don't know where the Ring Master's room is. But there's a weird black trail going through the castle halls. I follow them. It's the only lead I have. I come to a large hole in the wall. It looks like it was there before whatever is going on. It was definitely a doorway. I can see what's left of the huge door. I enter the room.

Nothing.

There's a bed, some sort of dresser, and a mirror attached to a desk. All broken and tossed around. In the center of the room is a crown. I'd know it from anywhere. It's the princesses crown. But there's something different about it. Something missing.

"Come one, come all," a groggy voice says. "See the last human."

I turn around to see whose speaking. I don't see anyone. It doesn't matter. I'd know that voice anywhere.

"See the last...human," the Ring Master repeats herself.

I still don't know where she is. But I'm getting closer.

"See my beautiful, Finn,"

I hear something behind me. I turn to see something pink lying on the ground.

A glob of gum.

It has a thin tendril attached to it going strait up. My eyes follow it to the ceiling.

I am unable to comprehend what I see for a few moments.

There's gum covering two of the walls and some of the ceiling. On the corner of one wall and the ceiling there's a face. The black soulless eyes look at me.

"Hello, Finn," says the mutilated Princess Bubblegum.

Just when I thought I could feel my legs again, they went numb.

I didn't notice what had happened to her, not only because the room is a similar pink, but because she takes up most of it. There are twisted webs made of her pulverized body stuck to the walls and ceiling. Some are twirling in a desk fan. The only part that's not pink on what's left of her is a black spot, like the ones in the castles halls, in the center of this horrible sight.

"We could be...together, Finn," she gasps this.

_How? How is she able to talk? How is she even alive?_

_...You really are a monster, aren't you?_

"...Your hair looks beautiful, Finn."

I don't understand. I'm still wearing the pillow case. She can't see my hair.

"Also... you'll be able to go outside again, Finn."

Realization comes to me. I slowly look to the floor.

_I can't kill her. She's already dead._

_She's just repeating things she's said before._

"I miss Marceline."

I look up startled.

"She was there for me when the Ice King captured me."

"But she wasn't there when Recardio killed me."

_Who's Recardio?_

Something she said this morning pops into my head.

_'But not when it counted.'_

_What do I do now?_

_Should I try to kill her?_

_Can I even kill her?_

_Should I just leave her.?_

_Is that what she deserves?_

Before I could come up with what to do. The Ring Master continued.

"Such a beautiful face...so beautiful, not a scratch on it."

_my face. That's what she always cared about. If she truly loves me, she wouldn't have tortured me for years._

I look to the ground again. I notice my reflection. It's a piece of the broken mirror. It kind of looks like a jagged knife.

_Maybe if my face was cut up, she'll finally leave me alone._

I bend down to pick it up.

"...I'm sorry..."

There it is again.

_What are you sorry for!?_

_For hurting me!?_

_For killing Marceline!?_

_For making me wish that I was never born!?_

I wait for her to answer questions she could not hear.

Of course, she doesn't answer.

I wait. I wait for her to say something else.

Nothing.

The black soulless orbs seem to be even more lifeless.

I fall to me knees and just look. I look for a long time.

_She's dead. The Ring Master is finally dead! I'm free. I'm finally free._

_So why? Why don't I feel happy that she's gone? And why? Why am I crying?_

**Because you're weak! That's why your crying. And you know very well you're not free. She's still in your head. And she always will be.**

The Fear finally speaks. He's been quiet since I last woke up. I hoped that maybe he'd stay quiet and leave me alone.

**HA! Like I would leave you when I can get so much fun out of your fear. I was just waiting for you to get in over your head so that you'd be trapped and even more afraid.**

I wonder what he means exactly.

**I mean that you are now in a room with a dead princess. If someone were to see this you'd be ****executed****. Also you ditched your only friend, who knew a way to bring back your ****precious**** "**_**Marceline**_**." He's stupid, but not stupid enough risk himself for you. He's probably miles away by now.**

Hearing him say Marceline's name in a mocking tone makes me angry. But he's right I left Jake behind. I don't care about being killed. Even if the Ring Master is dead, if Marceline isn't alive, then there is no point of me being alive.

I look over at the mirror shard.

_If I can't bring her back, I might as well join her._

**The cowards way out. Fitting.**

I raise the shard to my throat. But before I could do anything. I hear a voice in the panic outside.

"-iiinnn,' the voice is far.

"fiiIINNN!" the voice is getting closer.

"FIIIINNN, WHERE ARE YOU BROTHER!?" Jake yells trying to find me.

_Jake? You stayed?_

**Stupid mutt! I was having so much fun.**

I run to the window and looked for him. I spot him when he yells my name again. He's right in front of castle. I get ready to yell his name back.

Nothing.

Even though the Ring Master is finally dead, I still can't speak. I didn't speak for three years because in all my life, whenever I spoke, all that followed was pain.

_When I spoke at the circus, the Ringmaster whipped me._

_When I talked about the circus, it brought up painful memories._

_And when I screamed Marceline's name, when she was dying, it made no difference._

_So why? Why is it that now that the Ring Master is finally gone that I still can't talk?_

**HA HA HA HA! Haven't I told you before? She isn't gone. She's still in your head. And she always will be.**

_He's right. What was the point of doing this? I wasted my time trying to kill the Ring Master. I left Jake behind for nothing._

I look at Jake through the window.

_Maybe I can throw somethi-_

My thought is cut off when I see some dark mass emerging out of the smoke. It looked like a rotting corpse, covered in dark robes. It's arms looked like they were completely skeletal. Its face, if you can call it that, seems to be a cloth of some kind wrapped around a skull. It left a trail of dead earth behind it. And it's eyes...I don't know any words to describe it's eyes. But even though I'm kind of far away, when I look at its eyes, it seems like I could be sucked into them.

I was so fixated on the dark form that I didn't realize that it was walking toward Jake. I tried to yell at him. But still, nothing came out.

**Even when your only friend is in danger you still can't speak. Heh hehe heh.**

Jake hasn't noticed that he was in danger yet. I can't warn him and I'm running out of time.

I can't think of anything. I start running.

**You think you can make it in time? You've barely done anything for three years. Your to weak. You'll never make it.**

_Quiet! Quiet! QUIET!_

I don't know why I'm thinking this. It never did any good against him.

**Oh! so you can yell at me in your head. But you can't yell to save your friends life. Pathetic.**

I try to ignore him. Like how I ignore the pain in my legs. Or how hard it seems to breathe. I have to focus on getting to Jake.

I've been running for what feels like forever. I start to think that maybe I was going the wrong way. But then I saw the castles entrance that I first came in. I run through it.

Everything is the same. The smoke, the panic, and the green flames. Except there's no Jake. I look in all direction for him.

Nothing.

_Oh glob. I was to late._

**Heh. Told you so.**

I start to look in all directions again, as if that would make a difference, when I heard a voice. A new one.

_**Come... Come this way.**_

I didn't like this new voice. Unlike the Fear, this one seemed to speak to me from outside. It felt like it was whispering right behind my ear. It felt like someone was breathing pure evil on the back of my neck.

_**Come on, Finn... Don't you want to save Marceline?**_

I remember why Jake did this in the first place. If he is dead then I'll have to finish this. And maybe, whatever it is that he had to bring Marceline back, then maybe I can bring him back to. If he isn't, then he'll find me. There's a good chance that he noticed the dark thing and ran. He's a survivor. His scars are proof of that.

_**Come this way, Finn.**_

I start to run again. Even though the new voice didn't tell me where exactly I was supposed to go, I felt like I knew.

I run through the chaos that is the candy kingdom. I don't notice right away that I was running on grass. Before Marceline died, I would have slowed down to enjoy this. But I have something important to do. So I ignore it. I ignore how good it felt running on cool grass at night. I ignore it when the grass changed into dead earth. And because I ignored it, I didn't notice that I was about to fall into a hole until it was too late.

_I'm falling into darkness. I don't know how far I'm falling. Is this it? Is this how I d-_

**. . .**

I wake up. I feel good. I must have slept well. I couldn't see anything at first. But everything came into focus. I appear to be in some sort of shack. I try to remember how I got here when I hear a voice.

"Hey, Finn! Get out here and hang out with me!"

the voice sounds familiar.

_No. no, it couldn't be._

I hurry to the shacks door. And then I see her as clear as day.

_Marceline._

She's facing away from me. But I can see her jet black hair. Her pale skin. She's wearing a, plain but pretty, red dress. She's sitting on the grass staring off into the horizon. I walk up to her slowly. Not quite believing what I'm seeing. I'm standing over her, inches away. And I just stare.

_What if I touch her and she disappears._

She surprises me by looking my way.

"What are you doing just staring at me, Finn?" Marceline says looking into my eyes. "Come on, sit down." she pats the ground next to her. I comply a little awkwardly.

I almost forgot what she looked like. So seeing her sanguine eyes again made me happier then I've been in a long time.

"Hey, Finn! Check it out!" She lifts her right arm up and points. "It looks like a gol-" I interrupt her when I hug her. "What are you doing? Your acting like you haven't seen me for like ever."

This is definitely Marceline. It feels great to touch her again. She slips her left arm out of my embrace and folds it around me. I try to tell her that I love her, but still nothing comes out. She sees what I was trying to say and responds to nothing. "I love you too."

_I must have died. I must have died and found Marceline. That's alright. As long as I'm with her._

I don't try to say anything. I just enjoy being with Marceline. I look at the horizon with her. I see what she was pointing at earlier. A gold bird. It's pretty, but I'd rather pay attention to Marceline.

_She's so warm._

_Wait. The warmth isn't coming from her. It's coming from somewhere else._

I look at the horizon one more time to see what was wrong. It seemed like a normal...

_No. No nononono._

_The sun._

I look at Marceline to warn her of the obvious. But she was already in flames. She didn't notice this. She just kept on staring at the horizon. She turned her head to look at me. Her eyes were changing color. From sanguine to a sickening green.

"Finn, I know you miss me, but it's time to wake up," this was the last thing she said to me before she erupted with green flames. They came out of her mouth, nose and eyes. They engulfed her, then me, then everything else in the world.

**. . .**

I woke up in darkness. The first thing I do is cry. Like I have been doing for years.

_Why? Why me?_

I don't think of anything for a moment.

_I can still bring her back. I just got to get Jake's bag back._

I try to get up. I feel sore and banged up. I start to miss the drugs. I can see a little. I'm surrounded by rusty metal and water. Some of the metal junk is floating in it. I see the green flames, like in my dream, lighting some of my surroundings. There's another light source I can't find yet. Still tired and dizzy. I feel around my body for any serious injuries. There's blood on me. But there are no cuts. I try to focus and adjust my eyes to the dark. What I see sends shivers down my spine..

Humans.

All dead.

They're scattered everywhere. They look like they were burned and thrown around like rag dolls. They all have some sort of animal hat on. But I can tell they're human. There's just to many similarities.

_They're dead, but maybe there's more. Somewhere scattered arou-_

one of them, a woman with long hair, has a hole in her hat. And instead of seeing hair I see a blue shimmer. I take her hat off, which appears to be some sort of white bear head, and see that along with not having hair she also doesn't have ears. Just fins and scales. I take the hats of the others with the same outcome. They all have fish like heads.

_I really am alone aren't I?_

**Of course you are! Don't you think that if there were any more of you that you'd hear about it?**

The return of the Fears voice makes wish I was alone again.

_But I won't be for long. Marceline will be here with me again._

I get up to finish this mission when I spot one last human-fish. It's a woman. And she's the largest of all the other bodies. She's right under the other source of light. I walk up to her. Her hat looks like a cat. And she has hair like mine.

_Fake hair._

I reach down to take her hat when a thought stops me.

_She's just like the others._

_Why bother taking the hat if I already know what I'm going to see._

I get up to leave when I look at her face. It's obvious that she died in complete terror. Just like the others. Well, maybe she wasn't as scared as the others. She's the only one that tried to escape into the light. I look up to the source of the light- the moon.

_This must be where I fell. It's kind of far. I should be dead._

I look at the woman again.

She reminds me of the Cyclops at the Silver Lining Circus.

_Her dead body must have broken my fall. I probably bounced and rolled off of her._

I stare at her face frozen in horror and stop thinking for a moment.

_Thank you. I'm sorry._

A moment after walking away, I heard a sound behind me. I start to turn to look.

_SHNK!_

There's a piercing pain in my left arm. I clench my teeth and fall to my knees.

_What was that? It hurts. I miss the drugs._

"I'm definitely rusty if you heard me," says a voice behind me.

I turn to see my attacker.

"If you hadn't moved, that knife would be through your heart right now," says the faceless peppermint man. "No matter, this will end soon."

_HIM! The one who killed Marceline._

I know it was the Ringmasters fault. But he's the one who killed her himself.

"It's all your fault. You know that right?" he says lifting his only eyebrow. "The princess felt like she couldn't love her people anymore. But I was close to convincing her to go back and try. And then one day she found YOU!"

he grabs the candy blade in my arm and yanks it out. Instead of a scream of pain, I let out a sort of growl.

"When she found YOU she didn't think she needed anything else!" he continued. "And on top of it all she started to hate herself! Trying to look human." it seems like he's saying this last part to himself.

I try to drag myself away with my good arm. He just casually follows. He knows there's no way for me to escape.

"AND THEN!" his voice echoes in the darkness. "When she finally let you go, you showed up again!"

He steps next to me and kicks me in the ribs. Even though he's small, he's still very strong. I'm on my stomach trying to breath. My right arm is curled onto my side and chest, as a shield. My bleeding left arm is stretched out trying to move me. All it can do is barely touch a pile of junk.

"And of course, once she had you again she could never let you go." he starts to kick me in the side of my gut. I think about moving my good arm to protect myself there. But I know he would just try to break my ribs if I did. "But now she's dead. All because of you."

He starts to regain his composer. "Well, I guess you coming back wasn't all bad," he says with an evil grin growing on his face. "You gave the Princess a reason to stay and rule her kingdom again. And of course, when you came back, the Vampire Queen followed."

There's a heavy feeling in my heart when he mentions her.

"A vampire did this to me," he puts his free hand on the colorless and eyeless part of his face. "That vampire was the first one I killed. Many more followed. So when I saw the queen of the vampires show up, I was thrilled! But then the princess ordered me to let you both go."

"But when you came back, it was like fate. The princess got you back and I was able to kill the Vampire Queen," he said. "Although, I have to admit, I thought she was going to be more of a challenge. It was surprisingly easy to kill her."

He starts to toss the candy knife from hand to hand as he speaks.

"I was hoping that killing the last human would be some fun. But I am pretty disappointed." He says, while the candy knife stops in his right hand.

_Good._

"I'm doing you a favor, you know," He says while raising the knife for the kill. "I'm putting an end to your miserable life."

_maybe I'll see Marceline again, after he ki-_

_NO! focus!_

He plunges the candy knife down at my heart. The moment he does, I propel myself with my right arm and legs. And my left arm hits his left leg with the makeshift weapon from the pile of junk it was touching. Many things could have gone wrong. I could have not been fast or strong enough. The item I used could have ended up being useless. Or, worst of all, the peppermint man could not have been so rusty.

But I was fast and strong enough. I grabbed a decent weapon. It was sturdy and had sharp, jagged, edges that cut through his skinny leg, and my hand a little. And after years of lack of work, the faceless peppermint man was rusty. Rusty enough to put his knife on his blind side. And to underestimate the last human.

He fell on his back screaming. The candy knife clatters into the darkness. The weapon I grabbed slipped out of my hand and does the exact same thing. He tries to get up again. But I put my right knee on his leg and my left forearm on his right arm. I use my good arm to hit him directly between where his eyes should be.

I do it again.

And again.

And again.

_YOU! YOU KILLED _MARCELINE_!_

_WHAM!_

**Oh. He's definitely the one who killed her. But was it really his fault?**

The Fears voice is not welcomed during my revenge.

_WHAM!_

**Think about it. He was the one who killed Marceline, but who's the one who brought her there.**

I try to ignore his words. But they still reach me.

_WHAM!_

_He's the one who killed Marceline. But if it wasn't his fault, then it was the Ring Masters fault!_

_WHACK!_

**You're not answering the question. The Ringmaster let it happen, but she isn't the one who brought her there.**

My arm is starting to hurt. But I still keep hitting.

_Jermaine! He must have tricked Marceline into going to the candy kingdom._

_WHACK!_

Cracks are starting to sprout.

**Hehe heh. You're getting warmer.**

_Krk!_

My fingers are definitely breaking. But I don't care.

_...Jake. He could have used his powers to save her._

_KRACK!_

There's a familiar warm feeling streaking down my face.

**HA HA HA! You're so close!**

_...Marceline. If she didn't come to save me..._

My broken fist limply hits the concrete. The Peppermint man had already broke into several pieces. His screams stopped sometime ago. I don't know how much damage I did to him. I can't see through the tears.

_I knew. I knew it was all my fault. If I hadn't left. If I hadn't been so weak, so scared to not have her around. Then Marceline would still be alive._

"I'm sorry, Marceline," I say for the first time in three years. I sit there in silence, sobbing.

…**well, it doesn't seem like I'm going to get much more fun from you. I'm leaving. Things look like they're going to get dicey anyway. Good luck. You're going to need it. Heh heh heh**

After the Fear said that, I felt a pain in my stomach like something was ripping out of me. I couldn't see him through the tears or the darkness. But I felt him leave. The Fear was gone forever.

I wait in the darkness.

I remembered my mission.

I wipe the tears from my face and look down. The Peppermint man has been broken into three pieces. The spot I repeatedly hit is now dust. I get up to leave when something grabs my ankle.

"RAAAAAAUUGH!" The Peppermint man screams. "YOU WON"T ESCAPE!"

I fall to the floor. I try to concentrate through the pain. I see, in the dim light, a piece of the candy man. This part of him has an eye, an arm, and most of his mouth.

_How is he alive!? There's something dark about him._

I try to kick my leg free.

"I"LL KILL YOU! JUST LIKE I KILLED THAT VAMPIRE!"

I'm free. I get up and kick him into the water. He hisses and curses as he sinks. Then he started laughing.

"HA HA HA! YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD!" This was the last thing he screamed before vanishing in the dark water.

I fall and sit in place for a few moments, trying to take in what just happened.

_He was in pieces. A part of his mouth was gone. How could he talk? How was he even alive?_

I always felt there was something dark about him. Something that set him apart from the other candy people.

_**Finn, come here.**_

That evil voice shows up again. It figures that when one voice leaves another one shows up. Even though I'm sore and bleeding, I follow the voice. Because who ever the voice belongs to also has the only way to bring back Marceline.

Its surprisingly easy to walk on the junk floating in the water. I thought with my weak body and injuries it might be more difficult. Luckily my ankle doesn't hurt that bad. And the cut in my arm seems to have stopped bleeding. I can't really feel the wound. I'm not sure if that's a good sign or not.

Everything gets colder. I start to feel sick.

_**You're close, Finn. So very close.**_

The voice seems a lot closer now. It almost feels comforting. I try to get closer.

The ground beneath me seems to sway. I thought that I was getting dizzy until I looked down. I'm on a makeshift raft.

_It must have been made by those fish people._

I start to wonder why fish people would need a raft, when it started to move on its own. I get the same feeling from the force moving the raft as I do from the voice.

_**Don't worry about it, Finn. It won't matter soon enough.**_

Even though I want to think about it more, I follow the voice's order. It feels weird now. Instead of the voice feeling like its behind me. It feels like its inside my head.

I start to get bored waiting on the raft. It feels like I'm just going through darkness. There's no light at all. I think about talking. To try and practice what I stopped years ago.

_But who would I talk too? Jake's probably dead. The Fear left me, Not that I would even want to talk to him. And I definitely don't want to talk to the new voice. Marceline. I always wanted to talk to her._

I stare at the dark water being cut by the raft for what could have been forever or seconds.

_Figures. I finally talk again and there's no one to talk to._

I try to think about what I'd do when I see Marceline again.

_Hug her, like in my dream. I'd tell her how much I love her. And how much I missed her. I wouldn't tell her about the past three years. That would just make her sad. We could hide with Jake and Beemo. We can sit down and eat like a family. We can be toge-_

I'm brought back to reality when the raft hits something. I didn't realize my eyes were closed. It's so dark I couldn't tell the difference. When I opened them I could clearly see a platform. It was like the one back at the entrance. Except there wasn't as much junk and no dead bodies.

_**Finn... come here... You're almost done.**_

When the voice spoke this time, I realized how cold it was. I get on top of the platform and walk forward. It's so dark in here; it feels like I'm walking in nothingness.

My foot hits something. I look down. I see the bag I've been looking for. And there's also some square thing wrapped in a cloth. I pick them both up. I unwrap the square thing.

It's a book. I try to read the name on it. It's beyond me.

_What am I supposed to do now? I should go back and find Ja-_

I stop thinking. I'm incapable of it. Everything in my head leaves me.

"Good. Your here." A dark and evil entity speaks from the darkness.

"Now," The Lich says. "Turn the sword on the book."

I do as he says.

_Marceline... Jake..._

**. . .**

"Where are you, Finn?" Jake says to himself. Jake is already in the dark pit. He has already seen the dead bodies. He has already seen that they are not completely human. And he is about to see the remains of Peppermint Butler.

Jake looks over the shattered remains of the candy person. "What happened here?" he asked himself. He thinks about all the weird things that have happened to him recently.

_I thought hearing voices was the weirdest part. But it just kept getting weirder and weirder._

He smells Finn's blood. He follows the scent to a candy knife. Besides smelling delicious, it's also covered in Finn's blood. But there's another scent on the knife. Jake realizes what it is. "Poison," Jake whispers to himself.

_I have to find Finn, quick!_

There's multiple scents in the dark cave, but Jake follows Finn's with ease. While Jake heads towards Finn, he can smell another presents. A familiar presents.

_It's that guy from the candy kingdom! The one who almost fried me!_

Jake was lucky. The Lich was more focused on the bag of jewels then he was on Jake. That's why when he swatted Jake away, he didn't follow him when he ran. He came out with only a few burns. Nothing he isn't already used to.

As he paddles himself through the water he notices something.

_Out of all the weird stuff down here, the deflated pool floaties are the weirdest._

Jake continues on to find Finn. He is making his way through the water much faster then Finn was earlier. As he gets closer he becomes more nervous. Because as Finn's scent gets stronger, so does the Lich's.

_Please be okay, Finn._

He reaches the same platform Finn reached. The platform seems to be manmade but the rest is just like a cave. An unstable cave."FINN, Whe-" He starts to yell but is cut off by a explosion of some kind. He looks over at the source of the explosion. The first thing he sees is Finn lying on the ground. The second thing he notices is a portal. The third thing he notices is the Lich making his way to it.

Jake runs to Finn. He stands between him and the Lich. Unfortunately, he also stands between the Lich and the portal. The Lich sends a blast of evil energy at the two. Jake shields Finn from the blast, but it still sends them flying.

They hit the wall of the cave, hard. Jake stretched his body around Finn, so he wasn't hurt anymore then he already was. The impact they made started to make the cave collapse. A weak and tired Jake looks at the portal, to see the Lich climbing into it. He also sees that the only entrance has been blocked by rubble. He starts to run to the portal seeing as it's the only exit left. He realizes Finn is still on the ground trying to get up. He tries to figure out if there's enough time.

_I'll make time!_

He stretches his right arm and grasps Finn. The other he wraps around the Lich, who carries on through the portal. He starts to pull himself and Finn when his mind goes blank with pain. He sees a stream of green fire moving up his arm. He feels his left arm uncurling. He feels the life being sucked out of him.

"J-JAKE!" Finn yells with a weak voice. Jake looks over at the only family he has left. He wishes he can hug his friend. He wishes he could talk to him for the first time in years. But most of all, he wishes Finn would be safe.

Jake feels strength coming to him. He uses his good arm to throw Finn through the portal. Jake can hear Finn yelling his name. He tries to ignore it. Finn lands on a floating rock, surprisingly gently. He sees Jake's, blackened, useless arm retracting through the portal. He tries to grab onto it. He's only able to touch Jake's finger tips. Jake doesn't know he did this, he can't feel anything in that arm any more.

Finn doesn't know what to do. He's to late to make it through the portal. And even if he did he would be crushed in the cave. He thinks about how this is the last moment he'll be with Jake.

"JAKE!" Finn yells.

The portal closes.

"...Thank you."

**. . .**

_Finally. I have waited much too long for this._

I make my way to the cube up ahead. I ignore the crippled human behind me, who's desperately trying to keep up. He doesn't have the power to stop me.

I think about how everything came to be.

_It all went perfectly._

First there was the Sour Man. He didn't get close enough for me to take over his mind. But he was close enough to give directions too. I got him to steal the book. I was going to have him steal the crowns of power. But then the dog came.

_Everything was moving in my favor._

Just like before, the dog wasn't close enough. But he was close enough to have his mind read. And from what I read, I was able to whisper false hope in his ear. He fell for it completely. Although, most of what I said was true. I just didn't tell him the rest of my plan.

_It's so easy to trick the desperate._

The human. He was the most important part. He's the one who could open the portal.

_Perfectly._

I think about the Sour Man again. Feeling a life extinguish in my hand after such a long time being stuck in that amber was exquisite. And then there was the princess. I didn't really try to kill her. All I needed was the jewel. There were some of those pathetic candy people. The dog. Those false humans.

And now, everything else.

I'm inside the cube now. I see the great and powerful Prismo.

_So very easy._

"I wish..."

**. . .**

Even though I'm in pitch black darkness and being crushed in rubble. I still can only think of one thing.

_I hope Finn is okay._

Well, I guess _crush _isn't really the right word. I can't be crushed. It still hurt being hit by so many rocks. I'm to weak and tired to use my powers. But the biggest problem is there's not enough air. I don't have a lot of time.

_I thought today wouldn't get worse. But that's what happened. Repeatedly!_

First, that creepy voice told me to steal all the jewels from the crowns of power. I didn't like stealing again. I tried to put that behind me. But it was for Finn's sake.

Second, I met the Ice King. Well, sorta. He was dead. Looked like he was like that for a long time. He was all bones. That wasn't the weird part. Everyone knows the ice king was completely wacko. So its no surprise that no one found him sooner. The weird part was that there was a hole in his chest. What was really creepy was that the bones were pointing out. I grabbed the jewels and ran.

The worst part of all happened when I went to the Candy Kingdom. Everything was crazy, I lost Finn, and then that skeleton dude stole the jewels. And when I was looking for Finn, I thought I heard someone yelling my name. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, there was to much noise. It stopped before I could find it.

_Must have been my awesome imagination not being very awesome._

I don't know why I thought of Jermaine when I remembered that.

I think about throwing Finn into that portal. I know that skeleton guy was in there, but Finn would have definitely have died if he stayed here. I know he'll be okay. He's a fighter. He may not know it, but those scars on his back are proof of that.

I'm starting to get woozy.

I was so happy to hear him talk. But there wasn't enough time. I wish I could have had more time to talk to him. I doubt he would have much to say. But even talking about meaningless things would be great. As long as he enjoys it.

I'm getting tired. I think about Jermaine.

_I miss Jermaine. I know I try not to think about him. But I feel that I shou-_

_Jake and the rest of all life ceased to exist._

**. . .**

I thought I could win. I mean I _really_ thought I could win. After I spoke to Jake for the last time, I hurried after the dark form. I was surprised that I was able to make it through the floating rocks. Maybe Because I was filled with adrenaline. It should have been impossible with my weak body. But it wasn't.

But when I got inside that cube thing. I was drained of all hope and power.

"I wish for the extinction of all life," Said the dark form. He then started to laugh and then he vanished.

I started to feel sick. I felt like I should lie down and wait to die.

_Everything. Everything is gone. There's nothing left for me._

"Hey!" a voice calls out from nowhere. "Do you need any help getting down?"

I try to get up. But when I did my body came apart and then resembled where the dark form was at. It didn't hurt. It actually felt relaxing. "I thought you would need a hand down. It would kinda suck if you came all the way here and broke your neck, ya know."

I finally see where the voice was coming from. A flat man. I didn't notice him at first because I was focused on the dark guy. He told me his name was Prismo and how he can grant wishes. He also told me that once I make my wish, I'll leave this room and not exist like everybody else.

_Maybe I haven't lost. I can still bring back Marceline!_

"I wish..." I begin. I stop when a thought comes to me.

_What am I bringing Marceline back to? There's nothing left. Even I won't be there with her. She'll be alone, forever. In nothingness._

Finn topples over. The poison from the candy knife has started to kick in. it would have worked sooner, but the poison was made for vampires, not humans. Prismo watches passively. He helped the human and told him what will happen after his wish, but if the he dies like this then so be it.

I can't get up. My body feels to heavy. I'm dying. I know it.

_It's just like when I get drugged twice a day. But this time I won't wake up._

I take off my hat, as if that would be able to help me. I roll onto my back.

_Maybe I can wish for everything to go back the way it was. Before Marceline died. I could do things differently._

Everything starts to get dark and blurry.

_...But, if I wish for that, then the Ring Master will try to kill us both again. She'll never leave me alone. Maybe I should wish for the Ring Master to have never existed._

Without wanting to, I think about how all the candy people loved they're leader.

_She must have been a good person at some point. She returned to her people and brought peace. Even though she was not the same person who loved them. If Marceline was friends with her, then she must have seen something good in her. The Peppermint man said that he was close to convincing her to go back when..._

I try to fight the urge to sleep. I know what that would mean.

_Even if I wish her away, there's no telling what my life would be like. Before the Ring Master, I was living in the wild. And there were many other evil people besides her. I suffered terribly at the circus. But that's where Marceline saved me. Could she find me again? Would I even be alive?_

I can't feel my left arm any more. It's the heaviest part of my body now.

_Maybe... I should wish that I never existed. If I never existed, then Marceline would still be alive. Jake would be with Jermaine. The Ring Master would be with her people. And maybe that dark thing wouldn't have gotten out. But most of all, I wouldn't need to have suffered._

"I wish..."

I feel something in my hand. I use what strength I have to lift my arm and move my head to see what it is. It's the hat Jake made me from a pillow case. Its covered with burn marks, from the fires, tears, and blood. I realize that it also kept me warm. At least a little bit.

_It kept me safe. Jake kept me safe. Because he loves me._

It's darker then it was before.

_I want to feel that again! I want to feel love again! I want to exist. So that Jake can make me smile again! So that I can taste another apple pie! So that I can hear Marceline sing just one last time!_

I can't feel anything anymore. I can't see anything anymore. But I still feel the hat between my fingers.

"... I... just wish..." I say with a very weak voice, I'm sure even Jake couldn't hear me. "...that everything... would have gone better," the last words came out silently. I hope they were heard. I start to fade. I feel very happy.

_Finn, the last human, who suffered all his life and felt love and happiness only briefly, followed his world in non-existents._

**END**

I heard him. If I hadn't heard him, then he wouldn't have disappeared. But even though no sound came out of him, I could still hear him. I hear all in the Time Room.

"_Everything," huh?_

I have been around for a incomprehensible amount of time, and I know much of the inner working of the multi-verse. I still don't know everything. It would be boring if I knew everything. But even though I don't know everything, I still get bored. I could hang out with the Cosmic Owl, if he's alive. Or I could call my girl-friend. Maybe not. The relationship is getting a little serious.

Rarely though, whenever someone comes and makes a wish, I'll think about the monkey paw reaction. I don't tell a lot of people that my wishes usually have an ironic twist. I can watch the world they made on my wall. But sometimes I try to think about how they changed they're reality. It's sort of a mental game.

"_Everything," _I murmur to myself. "He wished for everything would have gone better. That's pretty general."

when that dead looking guy wished for the extinction of all life, there wasn't really room for a ironic twist. But this human. I've had people wish for money, power, and deceased loved ones. But I never had such a general wish before.

_Everything! Did he mean every single thing in his life? Or did he mean everything in his universe? And what does he mean "better?" A lot better? A little better? What does he want? A happy ending to his life story? Or does he want greeting snails?_

I don't really have much control in the wishes I grant. I don't know if his life is a lot better or not. But I do know this, a little better won't take the tragedies out of life. And that sometimes an ironic twist can be a good thing. Other than that, I'm stumped. This human unleashed a craziness out in his world _I_ can't even begin to understand.

**. . .**

"M-m-mommy..._sniff_...D-daddy" Says the scared little girl. She is alone. Standing in the ruins of a world that doesn't exist anymore. She is not quite human. But also not quite demon either. But right now she is just a scared little girl.

A man comes by. A cold man with a crown. Like her, he is also not quite a human anymore. His humanity is being chipped away by madness and frost. What humanity he has left tells him to help the scared child. He goes to her and wipes a tear from her eye. He doesn't know very much about children, he specializes in old books and crowns, but he does know how to cheer a child up.

The man goes through the destruction of the old world. He sees an old toy store. The window is broken but nothing has been taken. There was no use for a plush doll when the mushroom bombs fell. Until now. He picks a toy through the shattered window. A pink bear of some kind.

He takes the teddy bear to the sad little girl. She falls in love with it instantly. She hasn't forgotten about her parents. Or that the world seems to have disappeared. But at least she knows she's not alone.

She looks up at her new protector. Little Marcy smiles at him. What is left of Simon Petrikov smiles back.

**. . .**

A thousand or so years later, a child's wailing can be heard from a mountain. The infant has been there for at least a day. It is hungry, lonely, and covered in tears and filth. Passer bys have just ignored his cries. His fate is undetermined. He could parish by hunger, or by the hunger of a beast. Or he can survive, be captured by a circus, and suffer his entire life. He will know love and happiness only briefly. That is the world he is meant to live.

But, this is not that world anymore.

"What do ya want, baby? Why ya crying?" Says the hat wearing dog, as he picks up the infant. The dog's wife comes by. "Margaret, this baby won't tell me what's wrong with it and its stuck to a leaf and it stinks."

"Give it here, Joshua," says Margaret as she takes the infant. "This baby just needs some love and kisses to be happy," she then proceeded to kiss the baby on the forehead repeatedly. The child stops crying and stars to laugh. "There, see? Now it's happy."

"You just kissed a boom boom baby. So don't expect any sugar from me until we wash your dirty, dirty, face," says Joshua.

The baby Finn continues to laugh and smile at his new parents. A feeling he barely knew in the world that was.

**Begin**

**Well, hope you liked the story. Please leave a comment if you have a question or just have something to say.**


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